The only 60-year old tiger on the planet…

The story of an amazing Malaysian brand.

The Malayan Tiger (Panthera Tigris Malayensis), (Panthera Tigris Jacksoni), found only along the Malay Peninsula, is a ‘Critically Endangered’ species with mature breeding numbers about 100 left in the wild today.Their roars can be heard from distances of 3 kmand they can mimic the call of other animals!

While the Malayan tiger can survive up to 20 years in the wild, its pride of place as our national animal far outstrips its lifetime. A symbol of bravery, charm and regality, it is deservedly honoured and depicted on the Malaysian Coat of Arms and remains a timeless icon for Maybank. 

Together with WWF-Malaysia, Maybank champions tiger conservation efforts in the Belum-Temengor Forest, because the importance of the Malayan tiger goes beyond its representation in Maybank’s emblem. 

Significantly so, since Maybank just marked its 60th Anniversary last week on Sept 12. 

“60th” is probably the grandest celebration in the Lunar calendar, as 60 is the total of 12 zodiac signs x 5 elements (earth, wood, water, fire, metal).

Our story journeys through Maybank’s milestones over the years as a leader that has touched more Malaysians than any other brand.

A brand that humanises what they do for the shared destinies of all Malaysians, as echoed by Maybank Group president and CEO Datuk Abdul Farid Alias, “I believe our founding values – humanising financial services to building trust – will continue to drive Maybank’s success if we remain true to them.”

What was once known as the ‘coffee-shop bank’ due to the vicinity of the branches, it has evolved to become one of the strongest players in the digital arena – Maybank was recently named the World’s Best Consumer Digital Bank in Malaysia and Indonesia for 2020 by Global Finance. It is ranked the 6th most visited website in Malaysia this year. 

…. What was once known as the ‘coffee-shop bank’ due to the vicinity of the branches, it has evolved to become one of the strongest players…

1960s: Maybank first opened its doors on Sept 12,1960 with its first branch in Jalan H.S Lee as the “tiger by your side”. Back then, transactions were done manually using books and typewriters! It used to be the norm for people to keep their hard-earned money stashed away some place ‘safe’ in their homes.

1970s: Agriculture has always been a key industry and in the 70s accounted for nearly 30% of Malaysia’s GDP. Maybank introduced a Rural Credit Scheme and project field officers went to the grassroots. Maybank started mobile banking, bringing banking facilities to the heart of rural communities. With the introduction of the New Economic Policy, people wanted to start owning homes and Maybank made it happen. 

1980s: The age of computerisation arrived. 18 Maybank branches went online during this decade and Maybank Kawanku came into our lives with the Automated Teller Machine (ATM). By the end of the decade, there were 356 ATMs across the country.

Big hair, ripped jeans, neon colours, mullets (think Jon Bon Jovi) and having a chequebook were in vogue at the turn of the decade in the 1980s, and then came the first credit card in Malaysia; The Maybank Visa Classic Card and the Visa Premier Card.

1990s: ASEAN was going through rapid development in the 1990s AND Maybank opened regional branches across four countries. Maybank Autophone was intoduced, the first phone banking service by a local bank in Malaysia. The 1990s was when Maybank  became a truly homegrown ASEAN bank. It was also when Tabung Kebajikan Kumpulan Maybank was formed, which is now Maybank Foundation.

2000s: The Dawn of Digital. Customers needed to be a click away and Maybank2u.com was launched, the nation’s first internet banking platform. By collaborating with small and medium business owners, Maybank2e.net made its debut in 2005 – a portal for business owners, helping those that powered the nation’s growth perform commercial transactions online.

2010s: As tech improved at warp speed, so did its users. Expectations for technology integration, and security were at an all-time high. Smartphones turned into e-wallets, providing cashless mobile payments with Maybank QRPay.

Through people-powered progress, it was crucial that Maybankers were future-proof. FutureReady, a digital upskilling programme for all Maybankers was launched in 2018 and made mandatory. 

Rebuilding Together 

Through the “Bina Bersama” campaign, with every transaction on Maybank2u the bank contributes to rebuild mpacted lives affected by COVID-19. While the bank’s crowdfunding platform, MaybankHeart, works tirelessly with NGO partners helping various groups including women, children and the underprivileged. 

Some of the 60th anniversary activities include Sama Sama Lokal, an initiative this September that lets you give back to those in need while earning chances to win RM7 million worth of prizes. 

Another one is Maybank’s Financial Literary Series or #GetLitWithMaybank which encourages financial awareness through curated digital content. The content covers topics from personal budgeting to Investment 101 to SME survival post-COVID-19. 

Today, Maybank is the Malaysia’s largest listed entity and South-East Asia’s fourth-largest bank with over 2,600 retail branches globally.

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

The full-day Conference on October 23 showcases 20 speakers and panelists and will be held at the Sime Darby Convention, which adheres to the highest COVID-19 protocol standards.

REGISTER HERE, https://marketingmagazine.com.my/event/malaysian-media-conference-2020/